The Low Down...

Ok so here’s the scoop. We’re in the midst of something big.
It’s an energy crisis. For real.

You’ve likely heard that before, but I’m not talking about the one you’re thinking of,
although that alone is enough to knock your socks off.

No, here I'm referring to something different.
I'm talking about that energy... you know, that energy - the kind that is pretty much in every living thing in the universe? From the leaves on the trees, to tiny little salamander lungs, to the beating of our own hearts?

And this crisis I mentioned. I get it. Crisis is a heavy word. But let me try to explain, and open your heart to ponder the following, if you will.

When is the last time you remembered you have a conscious choice into how you use your energy? And I'm asking that literally.

I might also ask this - when did you last live completely in a moment, recognizing how you are using your energy - really truly completely? I'll give an example to where I'm going with this thing.

Snapshot: Frazzled. Work was crazy, day was stressful and you have hours to go before bedtime. Your’re exhausted and mulitasking the endlist list of to do’s while you chop veggies for dinner.

Looking again: Yes. Day was busy. You’re still tired. Frazzled. But you’ve taken a moment. Mere seconds to reset. You’ve become aware that the energy you’re using through your hands, in the simple act of peeling a carrot, is using your energy to help create nourishment for yourself. For another. That by this simple act, in this moment, you’re using your energy to show kindness and care to another human being. You’re in the moment, consciously aware of this little act, with energy used for the intent to nourish another. You’re Shining It Out!

Snapshot: You’re at the dinner table, everyone is eating. Perhaps you’re all talking about the stress of the day. Or maybe the raise you got. Or how many goals your scored. Or your report card. Maybe nobody is talking. Maybe the TV is on and you’re watching while you eat.

Looking again: You’re sitting with a loved one, talking about the practicalites of the day, which make up a reasonable part of our daily lives. Money. Schedules. To-do’s. But then you take a minute. You talk about how a stranger held the door open for you when your hands were full. About how you felt when your child ran to you and hugged you when you picked them up from school that day. You take a minute, and focus on acknowledging how energy was exchanged to and from those you encountered along your day, to show kindness, love or compassion. Through you. To you. You talk about it; you honour it. You bring this back to the table. Shining It Out!

OK Last One...Snapshot: You’re stuck in traffic. Again. Don’t the hordes of cars in front of you know you have somewhere you need to be? Maybe your mind is racing. Maybe you’re irritated.

Looking again: Yep. You’re stuck in traffic. This is an honest fact for a lot of us in our days. Bumper to bumper. But for a minute, you allow yourself to use your energy to see outside of your 4 wheeled cage. You notice a tree across the way, and you take in its beauty. Or maybe there are no trees. You look at your hands for the briefest of moments. You allow yourself to be aware that in these hands, there are infiinte ways to express your energy for kindness. By contemplating the ways you use you energy to love, you’re Shining It Out!

What does this all mean? So if anything, these snapshots help show us the jig is up.

And this is what I’m getting at... We’re dealing with a bonafide internal energy crisis that leaves us feeling disaffected, disconnected, rushed, out of touch, alone - an internal energy crisis that has global consequences.

SO WHAT DO WE DO?

Shine It Out!

Who? You. Me. Everyone.

What? Compassion. Kindess. Integrity. Energy.

Where? Everywhere. At your dinner table, at your desk, in your car, on the soccer field, on the bus, on the train. Anywhere.

When? Anytime. Before bed, when you’re happy, sad, grateful, lonely; see a goodness, remember a kindess. Do it often.

Why? To honour. to consciously
acknowledge a kindess. A beauty.
An emotion. A person. An act.
Be mindful, be in the moment and
Shine It Out!